TR-49 review: inkle cracks code in daring database thriller

In inkle’s new database thriller, TR-49, players must use a WWII-era code-breaking machine found in an abandoned church basement to locate a missing book. Sounds like a simple concept, but as players unpack puzzles and their indices grow, they discover the unassuming machine they’ve been working with might be capable of more than they suspect.

While TR-49 feels, at times, more like an audio drama than a game, the multi-layered narrative and complex, challenging puzzles will leave you wondering if you need to break out a notebook while playing. You don’t have to, though, because the developers’ useful in-game notebook keeps track of everything.

After picking up all of TR-49‘s achievements, I sat back and thought, “Wow! That was a lot to process.”

Something sinister lurks within database thriller ‘TR-49’

TR-49 is a multifaceted database thriller that casts players as Abbi, a woman who awakens in a dingy church cellar as a nearby machine whirs to life. At the start, you know as much about your character and the machine as Abbi does. She has gaps in her memory and can’t seem to recall much about herself or her situation. A man named Liam chimes in over the radio, directing your confused player character to sort through sprawling archives to find a hidden text.

As you dig, you may find a code with a messy entry. To clear them up takes some brain-busting deduction on the player’s part. While navigating through texts from various authors, you’ll also follow present-day events happening on the surface.

Both narratives are full of twists and turns that might just break your brain. Will Abbi and Liam find the missing texts they need? That depends on how well you find and destroy data. The fate of the world is on the shoulders of amnesia-addled Abbi.

In inkle’s ‘TR-49,’ high stakes intensify simple gameplay

The gameplay loop involves you navigating the archive by inputting and clicking codes within the TR-49 database entries. Occasionally, Liam will talk to you, and in turn, players must press a button to respond. You’ll also have a button to check your journal and code collection. The seemingly simple gameplay is well-executed.

Some of the solutions can be brute-forced, and finding answers can be difficult. But finally finding a way to keep moving may be one of the most satisfying dopamine hits I’ve ever had.

Comb through your in-game journal to figure out which title belongs to which text. A red dot next to the code means that the entry has more secrets to find.

TR-49 finds a way to make the hunt for the next code feel tense. The urgency makes the player feel like they’re stumbling onto something that wasn’t supposed to be found. Meanwhile, the story unfolding above-ground looms. You feel such an intense pressure to bumble through the archives to reach the end goal.

Voice acting and presentation carry this indie puzzler

With games like Her Story blowing up, why not this work of art? TR-49 draws inspiration from audio dramas, and the superb voice acting weaves in believable tension and amplifies Abbi’s palpable desperation. You’ll tense up every time you punch in a new code, and panic springs inside you when nothing happens after inputting.

All VA performances feel so real and believable; shoutout to inkle for ensuring the audio was top-notch throughout the whole experience. The performances from Abbi (Rebekah McLoughlin) and Liam (Paul Warren) might be some of the best of this year.

‘TR-49’ is inkle’s magnum opus

If inkle’s TR-49 isn’t a game you’d typically reach for, I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and give it a try. This code-breaking puzzle is fresh and really highlights the importance of branching out.

TR-49 may very well be inkle’s best game yet, and it is near-flawless in its execution. I’m not much of a puzzle game player myself, but inkle’s approach to the genre tends to grab my interest.

Stellar voice acting and a strong narrative make TR-49 a must-play for anyone who loves puzzle gaming and is looking for something fresh. Surfing the archive while being under a constant threat of being found is really fun, I promise.

Beat this game, and you’ll wind up with a Megamind-sized head to accommodate all your new smarts. Seriously — I swear I felt my brain grow.

Experience a thrilling story and try to save the world while you’re at it. Check out TR-49 today, available on PC, Mac, and iOS.